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March 9, 2015                                                                         Brenda Rangel 956.564.1527

                                                                                                                                         

Congressman Vela Invites High School Students to Participate in Congressional Art Competition

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, announced that talented high school students living in the 34th District of Texas have the opportunity to display their artistic talent in the U.S. Capitol by competing in the annual Congressional Art Competition.

 

This nationwide art competition provides young student artists with an opportunity to showcase their work locally, as well as the chance to be recognized at the national level for their talent and creativity. Each Member of Congress can choose one grand prize winner from his or her district.  The winning entry from U.S. Rep. Vela’s district will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol complex in Washington, D.C.

 

“The Congressional Art Competition gives thousands of visitors to the U.S. Capitol the opportunity to see pieces of art created by students from around the country,” said U.S. Rep. Vela. “I encourage all high school students to enter their works of art in the 2015 competition and demonstrate their creative and artistic talents.”

 

The winning artist and one guest will also be invited to a Capitol Hill awards ceremony this summer to honor young artists from around the nation and officially unveil their artwork in the Capitol.  

 

All entries must be submitted by 5 p.m. CST on March 30, 2015, to U.S. Rep. Vela’s Brownville, San Benito, Weslaco or Alice district offices.  All artwork submissions will be displayed at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, and the winning piece will be announced during a reception for the student artists and their teachers and families as the museum.  The date of the event hosted by U.S. Rep. Vela will be announced in the near future.  

 

Guidelines for U.S. Rep. Vela’s competition are as follows:

• Participants must be high school students residing or attending school in the 34th District of Texas.
• Artwork must be suitable for hanging, no larger than 28-inch by 28-inch framed (framing not required), and two-dimensional.  
• Seven pieces of art from each school will be accepted with a maximum of two pieces per student.  
• Eligible forms of artwork are paintings, prints, drawings, collages, computer art, mixed media and photography.  
• A release form certifying the originality of the art piece must be signed by teacher and student and attached to the back of the art piece. The forms are available ­here and at U.S. Rep. Vela’s district offices in Brownsville, San Benito, Weslaco and Alice.

 

Created in 1982, the Congressional Art Competition’s goal is to give creative students the chance to have their talents recognized nationwide. Since then, more than 650,000 students have participated in the competition and the works of thousands of young American artists have been showcased in the halls of Congress.

 

For more information, including the student artwork release form and other important instructions, please visit vela.house.gov.

 

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